Echo
by TheSeer
Summary: DiZ's mansion always seemed empty to Sora, but he knew that somewhere below his feet was his best frend, fast asleep, and a Nobody with empty eyes and a familiar smirk.  AU, sequel to Reflection.  References to RikuKairi and XurikSora.


Sora padded through the old mansion, his sneakers making no sound on the carpet. The place was creepy. It felt so empty, even though Sora knew there were other people here. Maybe it was because of who those people were. Two Nobodies, a man who'd thrown away his life for revenge, and the three sleepers down below. . . Sora wandered over to the secret staircase, vaguely planning another visit, another one-sided conversation.

It was a white place, even whiter than Namine's room. Sora couldn't even tell where the walls were. In the middle, if this room had a middle, were three clear, round capsules, with three silent figures inside. Donald, Goofy, Riku. On the floor in front of them was someone else, a boy with a thick, white braid running down the back of his neck, still wearing his black robe. Sora caught his breath. That sprawl was so boneless, restless. So _familiar._Riku reclined against the air like he was carved out of stone, like he was dead. The black-robed Nobody heard his breath, and looked around at him.

"Hey, wizard," he said. "Come to keep an eye on me?"

"My name is Sora." He plopped down cross-legged beside the other boy, dropping his staff beside him. "I just came to see him - them, I mean." He stared up at the capsules. "So, Xurik. . . have you decided yet?"

The Nobody glanced at Sora. "I'm starting to think it might not be so bad." He followed Sora's gaze. "He looks like he'd be a good Other."

"Of course he would!" Sora said.

"I was just thinking," Xurik said. "The witch said I'd be asleep while she did it. Asleep like that," he pointed at the capsules with his chin, "with no dreams, and then I'd wake up as him."

"Yeah?"

"Does it have to be like that?" Sora blinked. "It sounds like fading away. Like oblivion."

"But you wouldn't! You'd be part of Riku again, like you're supposed to be."

"Does it have to be like that?"

Sora blinked. "Come on, Xurik, it's not like you can be _scared._ You're a Nobody." Xurik just stared at him, until Sora stammered and answered, "Um, well, I guess not. DiZ said something about maybe putting you in a data world, where you'd think you were a normal person, but we didn't have to because you came on your own."

"So he _did_ want you to kidnap me!" Xurik laughed bitterly. "I thought he sounded surprised when I walked in." He leaned back on his hands. "Would you have?"

"I dunno," Sora said quietly. "If it was the only way to help Riku. . . I dunno."

"That means yes." He laughed again. "I can just see you trying that." He looked at Sora, with a knowing smirk. "You'd do anything for him, I bet."

"Of course! He's my best friend."

Bigger smirk. "Come on, wizard. I'm not stupid. It's completely obvious."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" But Sora was as red as the edge of his robe.

"You're lovers."

"We are not! Riku's not like that." There was a slight hesitation, and then Sora added, weakly, "And neither am I."

"Really."

"He's liked Kairi since forever. That's why you even exist - as soon as he realized where Kairi's heart was, he just took the second keyblade, and, _khht_." Sora accompanied this sound with a disturbingly exact miming of someone stabbing themselves in the heart. "And it was Kairi that brought him back, after." It had been Sora, though, that had recognized the quiet, nearly-still little Heartless, Sora who'd called its name.

"Did he ever even notice you?" Xurik asked.

"Of course he did, I'm his best friend," Sora said, still pretending he didn't understand. Really, he thought Riku knew - he _thought_ so - but every now and then he wondered.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea, after all," Xurik mused.

"No, wait!" Sora said, though Xurik hadn't moved. "Why not?"

"Does it have to be like that? Can I only save him by being him?" Sora blinked, confused. "Can't Riku and I both have our chances?" Xurik reached over, and batted at one of the soft spikes of Sora's hair with his finger. "'Cause it looks to me like Riku wasted his, wizard." As he took his hand back, his fingertips brushed Sora's cheek softly. It might have been an accident.

Sora clapped a hand over the spot, and stared at Xurik. "You're a Nobody," he said. "You can't feel anything, you don't have a heart."

"I guess not," Xurik admitted. "But sometimes it feels like I do."

Sora was blushing again. "I'll talk to DiZ," he said.

"Talk to the witch," Xurik said. "I don't trust DiZ."

"He's just. . . well, I mean. . . yeah."

"Right," Xurik said, chuckling. For a moment his laugh sounded just like Riku's, and Sora's heart twisted. "I won't do this if it means fading out. I don't see why disappearing into some keyblade-wielding idiot is any better than disappearing into the darkness. Tell the witch that."

"Okay." Sora pushed himself to his feet.

"Hey," Xurik said. Sora stopped. "Will you be here when we wake up?"

"Um," Sora said. "I dunno. Riku was sort of weird after Hollow Bastion. . . and there's Kairi, I, I mean as long as he's okay. . ."

"What are you scared of?" Xurik asked. He smirked a little, like he thought he knew the answer.

"I'll go talk to Namine, okay?" Sora said. Xurik laughed, and the sound chased Sora through the empty house.


End file.
